Wednesday, March 21, 2018

“The Stranger” by Freedom Baby – A Song Review

Freedom Baby has another masterpiece of sonic sophistication. They excel in the ability to generate tracks with tempo flexibility and lyrical contrast. “The Stranger” is lyrically dark, but melodically lush and energizing.

“The Stranger” could be the output of a futuristic sonic kaleidoscope having a comprehensive understanding of song composition. Major portions of the track have a staccato aggressiveness. Rotate the end of the kaleidoscope and the song is calming. Most of the downtempo transitions are immediate, while some of the builds are “slow-rotation” crescendos. Interestingly, there is a quick energy jump at 4:36, but the next minute still accommodates vocally driven, instrument-supported intensity increases.

Lyrically, Freedom Baby describes “The Stranger” as being based on the novel “Child of God” by Cormac McCarthy. “’The Stranger’ is the story of a lecherous, dispossessed human who feeds off of others, and is unsure if he/she is capable of redemption. Punctuated by violent bursts of baritone sax, cello, trumpets and flutes, ‘The Stranger’ expands and contracts, building towards a climactic and chaotic end.”

Eric Reid and Brianna Bordihn launched Freedom Baby in 2007 as a free-time bedroom project. The project is now a full-time, nine-member ensemble. In listening to “The Stranger,” the trumpet bears similarities to that found on songs by The Eastern Sea. We doubt it’s the same musician, since Freedom Baby is based in Toronto, Canada, while The Eastern Sea is an Austin. Texas band.